Treatment of cellulosic fabrics



Patented Mar. 6, 1928.

UNITED STATES DENIS DE GONCZ AND ALBERT S. JONES,

OF NORTH ADAMS, MASSACHUSETTS, AS-

SIGNORS T ARNOLD PRINT WORKS, OF NORTH ADAMS, MASSACHUSETTS, A GOR- PORATION' OF MASSACHUSETTS.

TREATMENT OF CELLULOSIC FABRICS.

No Drawing.

This invention relates to methods of treating cellulosic materials such as, for example, cotton fabrics and the like.

One of the objects of the invention is to alter the physical character of woven cellulosic fabrics so as to enhance its appearance andgive to fabrics other than linen an appearance and quality closely resembling linen. Another object of the invention is to produce certain novel effects in cellulosic fabrics by a printing or analogous operation in which the appearance and quality of the fabric are physically altered in accordance with a predetermined design or figure. A

16 still further object of the invention is to produce an improved laminated fabric in which the adhesion of a plurality of plies 0f cellulosic fabric is obtained to such a high degree as-to successfully withstand all ordl- 20 nary handling and treatments, such as laundering, without the plies becoming separated.

In the prior application of Denis de Goncz, Serial 'No. 739,201, filed September 22, 1924:, there is described and claimed the preliminary impregnation of cellulosic material by caustic alkali solution and the subsequent treatment of the material containing the caustic alkali with a cuprammonium solution whereby the appearance and physical character. of the cellulosic material are permanently altered and a linen-like effect is obtained. 7

One of the features of the present invention is in the nature of an improvement upon the process therein setforth and it difiers from the aforesaid treatment in that the cellulosic material impregnated with caustic alkali (caustic soda or caustic potash) is allowed to dry before the subsequent treatment with the cuprammonium solution. This drying of the impregnated fabric has the effect of further intensifying the action 7 of the cuprammonium solution so that the alteration of the fabric is intensified. To

take full advantage of its possibilities, caustic of at least 3035 Tw. should be used in this case, as the dried cloth will take up much larger quantities of the copper-ammonia solution, more caustic being required in consequence to activate it.

The said prior application, Serial No. 7 39,201, also referred generically to a print- Application filed December 9, 1926. Serial No. 153,720.

ing operation in which the principle of' treating the fabric, containing the caustic alkali, 'with cuprammonium solution is involvcd, but this feature is not specifically claimed in the said prior applicatlon. The printing method according to the present application embraces the preliminary impregnation of the cellulosic fabric with caustic alkali and the subsequent treatment with cuprammonium solution, with or without previous drying of the caustic-filled fabric. In the present case the printing method also includes the further feature of the use of a thickened paste of cuprammonium solution, so as to facilitate the application of the cuprammonium to the caustic-prepared fabric in the printing operation.

In a prior joint application of Denis de Gomez and Albert S. Jones, Serial No. 10,263, filed February 19, 1925, the production of a laminated fabric is described and claimed, the method therein specifically set forth comprising the impregnation of a plurality of plies of cellulosic fabric with caustic alkali solution (caustic soda or caustic potash) followed by the treatment of the caustic-filled fabric with cuprammonium solution and the uniting of the plies thus rendered adhesive. The particular improvement in the manufacture of laminated fab-:-

particularlv pertinent to the new features herein claimed.

As a typical example of the printing method, we may refer to the following:

The cellulosic material, for example cotton fabric, is first impregnated with caustic alkali solution (especially caustic soda or caustic potash) either by padding or by printing, and preferably it is then dried.

The strength of caustic may vary from about 15 'lw. up to mercerizing strength and over, according to the effect desired.

If, for example, a heavily napped cloth is impregnated with caustic below mercerizing strength, is then dried and thereafter printed with a printing paste as below described, imitation corduroy effects can be obtained. .On the other hand, if the caustic is of a mercerizing strength or above, a more leather-like effect is obtained. By printing on any ordinary un-napped fabric, permanent, highly lustrous pattern effects may be produced.

A satisfactory composition of the printing paste is as follows:

Solution A.

2 lbs. cotton flock, 1 qt. caustic 100 Tw., 2 gal. ammonia 26 B.

Solution B.

lbs. copper sulphate, 3 gal. water.

Pour solution B slowly into solution A. The addition of cotton flock and caustic effects a thickening of the cuprammonium solution which makes it more readily printable. The cotton flock is dissolved by the action of the caustic and the cuprammonium solution.

While the present invention does not contemplate or require any novel type of printing apparatus, it will readily be understood that a preferred example of the procedure would include the usual padding equipment by which the cloth is impregnated with the caustic, followed by drying apparatus, and then the usual cloth printing equipment in which the printing rolls are supplied with the cuprammonium paste already described.

The procedure described is intended only to be a specific illustration of the broad principle of impregnating the cloth and subsequently treating the impregnated cloth with the cuprammonium solution, at least one of said treatments being confined to selected portions of the fabric surface so as to produce a design. This design may of course be such as to give to the material aresemblance to corduroy or other desired material, or it may be purely ornamental.

In the production of laminated fabrics according to the present invention, which may follow in general rocedure the practice already outlined in t e prior application of Denis de Goncz and Albert S. Jones, Serial No. 10,263, above referred to, the cellulosic fabric may, for example, first be lmpregnated with caustic alkali solution such as caustic soda 30-35 Tw.) and then ried. Thereafter the material containing the dried caustic is padded with cuprammomum solution made up of 400 pounds copper sulphate, 150 gallons water, 80 gallons commercial ammonia. The action of the cuprammonium solution upon the fabric contaming the dried caustic is very rapid and a few seconds immersion of the fabric in the cuprammonium solution is sufficient to develop the adhesive qualities, when the plies should be immediately brought together and united by pressure rolls or the like. Thereafter the webs or plies which have been joined together may be passed through the usual tentering machine and thence to the souring and washing operations for the removal of the excess of reagents and the precipitated copper compound produced in the cuprammonium treatment.

In the ordinary treatment of fabric webs without special regard to the obtaining of printing or stencilling effects, one may proceed for example by running the fabric through caustic solution such as for example caustic soda of 30-35 Tw., until the material is saturated, whereafter the web may be run through squeeze rollers to remove excess caustic solution, and then allowed to dry. This dried material may be rolled and allowed to stand for an indefinite period or it may be run continuously from the drying operation into the cuprammonium solution for a few seconds treatment and thereafter removed through squeeze rollers and passed to an ordinary lateral-stretching tentering frame where the ammonia evaporates from the cuprammonium solution and the fabric is observed to be blue from the precipitated copper oxide of the reaction in the cuprammonium bath. During or after tentering, preferably after, the cloth is soured in d1- lute sulphuric acid of, for example, 6 Tw., washed in copious water and laundered, dried, ironed or calendered, as may be desired. This washing and finishing operaof copper sulphate and 7 gallons of commercial strong ammonia water, made up to 25 gallons by added water. The duration of treatment in the cuprammonium bath in any of the processes described may amount to, for example, three to five seconds at ordinary tem eratures.

T e e ressions natural fibrous material of the. c aracter described and natural cellulosic fabrics of the character described are employed to indicate the well known vegetable fibres such as cotton, jute, linen, ramie and wood, but to exclude esters of cellulose such as the well known'artificial silks and the like.

We claim 1. The method of treating natural cellulosic fibrous material, of the character described, which comprises impregnating the material with caustic solution, allowing the impregnated material to dry with the caustic therein, and subsequently subjecting the material containing the dry caustic to the superficial action of cuprammonium solution.

2. The method of printing natural cellu-,

10 lose.

3. The method of printing natural cellulosic fabrics of the character described which comprises impregnating the fabric with caustic solution, allowing the impregnated fabric to dry and acting upon the dried fabric containing the caustic with cuprammonium solution, the action of at least one of said treatments being confined to selected portions of the fabric surface to produce a design.

e DENIS DE GONGZ.

ALBERT S. JONES. 

